Donald Trump and his right-wing administration are allegedly warning of possible repercussions for Alaska after Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) joined forces to vote against a procedural measure to begin debate on health care legislation.
On Wednesday, both senators received a call from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, according to the Alaska Dispatch News.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) said the message was incredibly “troubling.”
“I’m not going to go into the details, but I fear that the strong economic growth, pro-energy, pro-mining, pro-jobs and personnel from Alaska who is part of those policies are going to stop,” Sullivan said.
During the call, Sullivan revealed that he was forced to stand up for his constituents while under direct attack by the Trump administration.
“We’re facing some difficult times and there’s a lot of enthusiasm for the policies that Secretary Zinke and the president have been talking about with regard to our economy. But the message was pretty clear,” he added.
Murkowski didn’t just vote against the procedural discussions, but also voted against a key proposal that would allow for the repealing and replacement of ObamaCare.
Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday to attack Murkowski.
“Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad!”
Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
Murkowski responded by noting that her first job is to make sure her constituents have what they need. She said every day shouldn’t be about “campaigning” and “winning elections.”
